


춤을 춰 세상 끝에서

by ultsjeongbin



Category: Stray Kids (Band), The Boyz (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, Anxiety, Break Up, Bullying, Coming of Age, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Fist Fights, Friends to Enemies, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Getting Together, Heavy Angst, M/M, Mild Language, Non-Graphic Violence, Recreational Drug Use, References to Depression, Teen Angst, Underage Drinking, Underage Smoking, baseball player!eric, but it won't end happily for some of them, curious!sunwoo, dance club leader!hyunjoon, dancer!hyunjin, delinquent!haknyeon, friendship wise tho, international student!felix, oh yeah -- all of those, quiet!seungmin, still not sure how this is gonna end tbh, stressed!jisung, that explains the t rating lmao, uhh maybe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-04
Updated: 2019-05-04
Packaged: 2020-02-18 16:15:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18703087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ultsjeongbin/pseuds/ultsjeongbin
Summary: "Matching our footsteps, let's walk and feel the moment."Surrounded by status quos and stressful obstacles, seven boys find themselves stuck having to choose between success or failure, excitement or fear, praise or ridicule, and friendship or love. The decisions become harder as time passes, and some of them know they'll be left behind. Others choose to let go knowing it's only the way to see the light.Who will come out on top and who will remain at the bottom?





	춤을 춰 세상 끝에서

**Author's Note:**

> omg... a chaptered fic? from me??? yep! i'm so excited for this one y'all have no idea i'm like, BEYOND excited.
> 
> Um,, a couple of author's notes:
> 
> 1\. I intend for this to be angsty, but like nothing //too// serious. idk lol  
> 2\. for now, there is no regularly update schedule; sometimes it might take a week or it'll take two or three days, just know i'm trying my best  
> 3\. the other members of skz and tbz aren't //that// relevant, but they might become significant depending on how y'all want the story to progress  
> 4\. in case y'all didn't know, the title roughly translates to "dancing at the end of the world" and it's a lyric from the song "no air" by tbz hehe.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy this :D

The belief that one can live a perfectly normal life if they just focus on one goal is unrealistic. While there may always be one main road, there are also stray ones, newly built ones, or destroyed ones that still remain. Getting sidetracked from the main path, believe it or not, is natural, and it’s because of this that everyone finds themselves branching off into uncharted territory or into an idealistic realm they have never seen before. The constant euphoria of experiencing something new for the first time is quite contagious. The only problem is that many people refuse to see it that way; seeing it instead as a distraction, a nuisance or even a curse. They question why out of all people it happens to them, instead of realizing it just so happens to every other person. A blind belief that those who stray from the path of normality are rebels, rejects, outcasts, or those rising in social hierarchy finds itself implanted in every being as they grow. Refusing to acknowledge that no matter what happens they’re all the same is a toxic mindset, but it leads to those believing in superiority and inferiority and thus, leads to the creation of the social pyramid commonly found among groups of children and adolescents. And said pyramid can be commonly found among both middle school and high school students.

With the creation of such a pyramid, also comes the creation of its ranks, later to be filled by many populations from different backgrounds. Of course the ranks range from those at the bottom to those at the top followed by those in between. Having each one successfully distinguishing themselves from one another, society forces specific people into each category, ultimately pushing in a new form of bias. This in turn creates borders, obstacles, problems, pain. And yet, when so many try to stop it from happening, it only seems to extend even further. We become surrounded by a circle of ignorance and prejudice, and no one dares to say a single word regarding change. They prefer to remain silent due to fear, others doing so because they just don’t see the worth in trying. And so comes forth the story of seven young individuals who began their relentless journey in the world of popularity. While some of them aimed to strive by either changing their position in the social hierarchy, others simply accepted that they were who they were. And while the significant road to acceptance was not easy, they eventually found their home in each other. Or, at least some of them did.

Beginning from one of the lowest positions at the very bottom, Heo Hyunjoon managed to climb his way to the top. From the start, he was the typical inferior; someone who had no place belonging to the highest point of the social hierarchy. Your average student with good grades but with a tremendous lack of social skills, the quiet and reserved student who found himself sitting at the back of the class whenever he could, not in love with using the term _antisocial_ to describe himself, but knowing well that it rightfully suited him. And while he was spared from bullies due to his charming visuals and kind personality, he knew he was viewed as unworthy of being around those he unfortunately looked up to. It was quite clear while growing up that Hyunjoon was never to be near the one group he thought was intriguing. And although he tried his very best to overcome every obstacle that was thrown at him, he would be frowned upon and be faced with rejection. But if there was one thing the boy was proud of, it was his strength and determination. Immediately consumed by the fantasy of being in control of those around him, he found himself straying off the path he had grown up in, and beginning a new one to incorporate himself into a world that was never his. He wanted ownership, and he intended to get it no matter the cost or sacrifices he would have to make, even if it meant having to give up the things or people he treasured and loved the most. Throughout his own journey, he would not only learn the true personalities of those he knew, but he would also discover the reasons for his actions and future decisions in life. A talented boy who grew up with a constant smile on his face would later be seen as the one in the hallway wearing a scowl. A boy who went from being intimidated to intimidating everyone, he had forced himself to adjust to a new social norm and stepping out of his comfort zone. Learning to be just like all the others his own friends had feared, Hyunjoon was also learning the basic consequences of aiming higher on the social pyramid.

One person who found himself refusing to live his life the way Hyunjoon chose to, was none other than Hwang Hyunjin. A boy who had found his own passion in the world of dance, he had always been curious about the many things the other boy envied and longed for so desperately. While he shared no mutual feelings with Hyunjoon, he could not help but attempt to share a similar viewpoint with the boy. When such an attempt failed, he felt his only choice was to convince his friend that success and glory could be gained without everything Hyunjoon wanted. Hyunjin himself was a student who chose not to recognize the purpose in having a social structure, especially at a place like high school. He viewed it for exactly what it is; a simple myth or idealization from those who wanted power and popularity, as well as control. He could tell when certain students showed their hunger for social growth, yet he had still prayed it worked out well for them. He was always known to be a kind person, and while he hated the idea of those lusting over being at the top, he continued to wish for their happiness. Never would he wish that those who tried so hard fail. Yet when it came to Heo Hyunjoon, he thought much more differently. He knew the true person living inside the boy, and he wanted nothing else but this true self to override and triumph over the new form Hyunjoon chose to portray instead. But in the end, there was not much he could do. And so he had to deal with the problems that decided to pursue him instead. Except what could he do when his own problems proved to be much more difficult than he had expected? What could he do when he found himself in danger of straying of his own path as well? For him, getting lost provoked fear and worry, and it was the thing he easily despised. Surrounded by the kingdom made entirely of high schoolers who had to adjust to the pyramid constantly being created, he tried his best to not be placed into a solid definition. And yet, no matter how hard he tried, he ended up being placed at the very bottom. He found himself in the same category as Hyunjoon and the rest of their friends. While such a thing caused him no pain, the look that the oldest of the bunch would give every single one of them each day did.

Sohn Youngjae never thought he would receive the opportunity to escape from the social barriers that surrounded him either. He simply lived life the way his own motto stated, _born at the bottom die at the bottom_ , and there wasn’t much more to that. He had decided on living a carefree lifestyle and while it made him get into trouble at certain times, he wouldn’t trade such a lifestyle for the world. Enjoying every second of the day with Hyunjoon and Sunwoo, he didn’t expect much else. Of course the boy was also a dancer, and he absolutely loved to pass time doing so. Joining the school’s dance club with his friends, he managed to meet someone special, a first year by the name of Lee Felix. The way Youngjae and Felix created a bond for themselves over time served as reassurance that you could find friendship and happiness no matter where you were placed on the social pyramid. Sadly the only one who failed to believe so was Hyunjoon. Regardless of what the older boy thought, Youngjae continued to enjoy his life to the very fullest, attending dance meetings whenever he could in order to spread joy to those around him. However, if one were to ask him, he would say such an activity was exactly the way those not even interested in dance described it, a passtime. Dancing was more of a hobby to him, and what he had actually fallen in love with over his young eighteen years of life was none other than baseball. Overhearing their high school was planning on holding tryouts for the baseball team, Youngjae never stopped talking about it. He would speak and speak until Hyunjoon would tell him to be quiet, only resulting in Sunwoo asking him to keep going. It was only when the boy brought up how those at the tryouts seemed impressed with his level of skill, that Hyunjoon finally became intrigued with such an idea. He remembers the words that escaped from his friend’s lips that day. A simple, ‘ _I wish I had an easy way out of here too,_ ’ that engraved itself into Youngjae’s brain. Had he really found a secret to success?

Many say you can find an escape from reality in the things you love. In Lee Felix’s case, that would be his friends, his family, the little things he was grateful for, and dancing. Falling in love with dancing had caused for a wonderful change in the way the male viewed his own life. Growing up, he struggled with the difficulties of living in South Korea, as he originally lived in Australia with the rest of his family and sadly due to the culture shock, he had to go through social isolation and even slight teasing due to his lack of knowledge. Luckily for him he found Hyunjin, a boy not much different from all the others he had seen, but there was definitely something special about him. After receiving an invitation from Hyunjin to join the dance club, Felix had not only found a way to ease his mind from the troubles he would face, but also the perfect opportunity to meet people who change his life for the better. In the small studio where the team frequently met up, he met Sohn Youngjae. And while he was extremely intimidated by the cold manner in which Hyunjoon would look at him, he chose to stay in the club; he had to, for Hyunjin, for Youngjae. Unfortunately, being around the club still impeded the boy from surviving the only obstacle he was currently trapped in; ostracization. Once again stuck in the world of a foreigner, not even the way in which Hyunjin tried his best to help him accommodate himself would be enough to stop the hurtful indirects and teasing that was spewed at him. It was still too much to get used to, and sometimes he would lie awake at night thinking this would never end. That he would be stuck in this loop of constant name-calling for the rest of his life, or at least, for the rest of high school. It would be during moments like these in which he would call Youngjae, he could call the other in search of comfort and a shoulder to lean on, even referring to the younger by his English name, Eric. He would start with talking about his day to eventually asking questions such as, _‘Eric, can you just imagine what it would be like if_ **_those_ ** _people never stared at us the way they do? If they never teased me about my accent or the way I would read too slow sometimes? What if they saw me through a different lens, like what if they saw the way I danced? Do you think things would be different then, Eric?’_ Truthfully, Youngjae would only reassure him that it wouldn’t always be like this. He believed there was something about the boy that could cause a change in the way things worked. But that only continued to leave Felix with even more unanswered questions. Everyone has a special something to them, and for him it was dance. But what was it that Youngjae had?

From reading a book in a secluded corner of the library to eating lunch by himself on days his friends were busy, Han Jisung had always wanted to know what it felt like to _not care_ . Curious about how important it should be to ignore judgement or attempts at ridicule, Jisung himself seemed to stress over such an idea over and over again. And it was due to this newfound stress, that he decided he would try to hide from other people in the unfortunate moment that he finds himself completely alone. Did his plan ever result in success? Most of the time. In other situations, such as being in class, he really had no other choice but to accept that he had no friends to be near, ultimately resulting in him daydreaming the entire day away. While feeling the greatest amount of anxiety sitting in the school cafeteria, he felt at ease whenever he was accompanied by his friends Hyunjin, Felix and Kim Seungmin. He considered the three boys to be his rocks, the only people who could ever keep him grounded, the only ones whose opinions he wanted to matter the most. But he knew that just like himself, the other three were fighting their own battles, either internally or externally. He knew they would never ask for his help because they didn’t want to pile upon his stress, but their facial expressions would make it quite obvious that something else was going on around them. When it came to the social pyramid, he was not blind compared to the others. Jisung knew it existed and that his place was determined by those who didn’t seem to care about him. The boy was well aware that he had no other choice but to live life considered to be at the very bottom, and this only added on to the boy’s stress about those who did care. For a split second, he had once believed that Heo Hyunjoon was at the very top, from the way that boy expressed himself through manners and words, fear was instilled upon Jisung. That was until Hyunjin had come into the picture, reminding the two of them that Hyunjoon was destined to be one of them. The self consciousness that came with being around the oldest of the bunch only forced Jisung to strive further and further to not care. Everyday he would continue to ask himself in a withered old diary, _‘Truly, why was it so important to care about everything and how hard was it to learn not to care?’_

Sharing the same struggles as his best friend Jisung, Kim Seungmin found himself dreading the simple thought of even going to school. Not wanting to be seen by others who would only poke fun at him for the simplest things, he would constantly fake feeling ill, but still having to attend his classes due to his parents not believing in his words. Even so, faking sickness did nothing to stop the manner in which he could feel the giant drop in his stomach at the sight of the school building. Entering made it much worse, but if he wanted to eventually make it to university, he needed to get used to it. Accompanied everywhere by Jisung, he managed to find calmness in the simplest of things. Be it walking home together in complete silence, or closing their eyes when they heard the school chorus sing, he knew being with the other was one of the only ways he could survive through everything. Constantly labelled as _the quiet one_ , he knew he would never be capable to befriend those who ran the school which, quite frankly, he was absolutely fine with. As long as he had Jisung by his side, nothing else truly mattered. Hyunjin and Felix made up the other half of their crew, although they were much more extroverted compared to themselves. Seungmin had always admired Hyunjin for not caring about the social status of others and trying to reach out to whoever he felt like become friends with. He knew such a trait was what Jisung most envied, and he knows such a trait was the reason the tall boy was sentenced to live amongst those at the bottom. Not once did Seungmin think about what life would be like if he had miraculously made it to live with those who were happy and popular, and he never wanted to have such thoughts. Thoughts like those would make him wonder what would happen if a time came in which his group of friends eventually split due to these barriers, he wonders who would fall into which category, but it was quite obvious who would end up where.

And finally, Kim Sunwoo was a boy who wasn’t sure what he felt. Becoming a member of the dance team that his friends, Hyunjoon and Youngjae, were a part of, he constantly felt uncertain about many things. Regarding the invisible social pyramid that existed in their school, he had always questioned why such a thing was necessary. Typically, Youngjae would throw banter and say something amusing such as _‘Ya know, that’s just how puberty works sometimes. Sometimes these teens need to find something useful to do.’_ In contrast, Hyunjoon would reply with much harsher words, and Sunwoo would be left with a small frown and furrowed brows. _‘Because Sunwoo… some people need to know their place. Some need to learn that there’s boundaries, boundaries they can’t fucking cross. Yeah, you might be allowed to move ranks, but that’s only for special people, and we should know this doesn’t happen everyday. Only those who got placed here by accident can move up.’_ Of course, the boy would feel terrible after hearing such a thing, because he knows very well that Hyunjoon believed he was placed at the bottom by accident; the proof was in the way he talked, the way he acted, the way he presented himself. It was clear what the older boy believed, but the questions that continued to bother Sunwoo was, where did he belong? Was he also ranked so low by accident? Did Youngjae belong at the top as well? In the end, none of those questions mattered, because he would end up facing another obstacle, one even bigger that he had not expected. Over the course of his lifetime, he knew he would meet certain people, those who intrigued him more than others, those who intimidated him more than other, but never did he think he would find someone who both intimidated him and intrigued him. He didn’t expect to find someone who could easily pull him in as one of the second years eventually did. Out of all the reasons he could think of to excuse himself for blindly following the path of someone he had once feared, none seemed to be the correct option. And so, he was very surprised when Hyunjoon realized the truth before he did. Kim Sunwoo had strayed off his own path due to love.

Surrounded by the academic and social stress that came with entering high school, these seven boys had learned that life was much more different than expected. While some of them became filled with greed, others suffered in silence, and others had learned to become more appreciative of those around them. Out of the seven, however, only six of them were close to developing a path they truly wanted to follow. There’s always one outcast, no matter what group, there’s always one person who stands out even greater than the rest. And in the case of this circle of friends, it was none other than Kim Sunwoo. A boy who would soon begin to lose everything he once had in mind, he would try his absolute best to continue on the road that he knew he belonged to. He knew he was strong, but was he strong enough to break out of the grasp of temptation? Was he strong enough to hold onto those who were both slowly and quickly drifting away from him? Would his closest friends and other acquaintances notice the sudden change in their beloved friend? It would definitely serve as a challenge to them, but perhaps Sunwoo didn’t want to be rescued. Perhaps he found joy in falling after someone who he never would have believed he wanted. In his own mind, love was always unexpected, it would always hit whenever you didn’t think you needed it, and sometimes it would make you go through many trials and tribulations. He knew Hyunjoon knew this, and so did Hyunjin. So did Youngjae, as well did Felix. Jisung and Seungmin would later find out as well. And while it only proved to him that while love came with a price, maybe it was what all seven of them needed in times like this. Then again, a want was different from a need, and they each wanted something distinguishably different. It would take an entire year before any of them realized that what they most needed was each other, but even then, their desires would become the biggest obstacle and block them from accepting the truth. Some of them would become hostile to such a fact, while others eagerly wanted it to be true.

But what all of them had failed to realize was that there would be one person in particular who would attack every single one of them in a different way. Each one would receive a blow where it most hurt, especially Sunwoo. Where this person fell on the social pyramid, no one really knew. Some said he belonged at the bottom due to his delinquent behavior while others believed he belonged at the top due to the power and control he held over certain students, and even teachers. Constantly manipulative and cunning, he seemed to get away with almost everything. Not a single soul who caught him in a terrible act would snitch, there’s no way they’d get rid of him that easily. He had friends and connections from every single position on the pyramid, and maybe that was the reason everyone found him so frightening. If anyone spoke badly of him or reported him to the school officials, he would know almost immediately and make their lives a living hell. It was clear from the moment he stepped foot into the school that he was only here to wreak havoc and cause destruction, not caring who got hurt in the process. This was his world and everyone was simply living in it. He didn’t care whether or not people were strongly affected by his actions, but there were some who believed he was broken on the inside and just chose not to show it. Like every other story in which the broken boy was the one who lashed out on others, some students believed this was the case for him. Did Sunwoo and the others believe the same? The answer was hidden between blurred lines. First getting to know him when they were only first years, Hyunjoon decided he was tolerable. Hyunjin decided to steer clear of him. Youngjae was overcome with curiosity due to the rumors, but also decided to stay in the clear. Felix realized he wasn’t to be messed with, and so he avoided the second year at all costs. Jisung and Seungmin only felt fear at the simple mention of his name, but they were fortunate enough to never see him around the school. They’ve all heard of him through the gossip of the other students, but they’ve never witnessed him in the acts that earned him the title of a problematic child. But it would later turn out that Sunwoo was the only exception. He would eventually be pulled into a similar world, and it would be his job to attempt to escape at all costs. Who was the one boy everyone at school completely dreaded? Why, it was the boy who had finally returned to class after several rumors of him being expelled began to spread. Said student was none other than Ju Haknyeon, and this time he was back to cause more chaos than ever before.

**Author's Note:**

> so uhh, that was the prologue... let me know if you would like chapters to be longer or shorter maybe?
> 
> until next time~ !


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